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Basic to open free employee clinic

BLACKFOOT — Basic American Foods is providing a new benefit for employees — free healthcare.
A new health clinic located at the Blackfoot Basic American facility, will provide employees and their families with free office visits, free laboratory tests and free prescriptions. There are approximately 450 employees at Basic American in Blackfoot.
“Our main goal is to keep employees healthy,” Human Resources Manager Ken Carrol said.
The clinic, operated by miCare through a partnership with Bingham Memorial Hospital, has two exam rooms and a laboratory. Dr. Jaren Blake is the doctor who will provide services at the clinic. Assisting him will be a physician’s assistant and two nurses.
The clinic has received positive response from employees, who will still retain their health insurance.
“The first week’s appointments is already full,” Carrol said.
Employee Sandi Clark, who works in the research department, said she is looking forward to the convenience of having the clinic on-site.
“I’m pretty excited about having this service here,” Clark said.
Tim Adams, who has worked at Basic American for 33 years, was also excited.
“I think it’s great,” Adams said. “We just do everything here and it’s cheaper for everyone in the long run.”
Cost savings—both in the short- and long-term—is the incentive behind having a clinic on-site at Basic American.
In the short-term, employees receive free health care and are likely to miss fewer days of work due to an illness. In the long-term, the move could reduce health insurance premiums through fewer claims.
“It’s to stop the spiraling increases in health care costs,” Carrol said. “We’re excited about it.”
The clinic is open Mondays and Fridays from 7 a.m.-10 a.m. and Wednesdays from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. The clinic will officially open Monday.